The following is an excerpt from Susan B. Anthony: Voice for Women's Voting Rights by Martha E. Kendall. Students can find this book in the Anthony library.

Arrested for Voting

"I have gone and done it!" boasted Susan B. Anthony. She had voted in the election of 1872. But many people believed she had no reason to be proud. In fact, she was charged with a crime-- "knowingly, wrongfully, and unlawfully voting." Why was her voting "unlawful"? Because she was a woman! Susan B. Anthony claimed her gender should not make a difference, but Judge Ward Hunt did not see it that way.

The courtroom in Canandaigua, New York, was packed. People both for and against the idea of women voting crowded the audience. Even Millard Fillmore, a former president, came. The decision in Susan B. Anthony's case was considered the test for whether any American woman would be allowed to vote.
Dedicated to Women's Right to Vote

The accused was a dignified, fifty-three year old woman. She wore her long, wavy hair pulled back into a neat bun. Although she stood only five feet five inches tall, the famous woman commanded respect. She was so well known that newspaper headlines did not need her last name. "Susan B." was enough. Writers often described her as selfless, generous, and determined. She dedicated her life to winning women's right to vote, which she considered "the solution to everything."